Roof Cleaning & Moss Removal in Northern NJ
Soft-Wash Only. Granules Stay Put.
Those black streaks running down your roof aren’t dirt. They’re algae feeding on your shingles, and they spread every season. We soft-wash with low pressure and a cleaning solution that kills the growth without stripping the granules that protect your roof. Owens Corning Preferred, licensed and insured. Call for a free roof cleaning estimate.
Quick Answer
Who does roof cleaning and moss removal near me in Northern NJ? Nail Force Contracting is a licensed and insured New Jersey roofing contractor (NJ HIC #13VH14050100) and Owens Corning Preferred Contractor that soft-washes shingle roofs to remove algae streaks, moss and lichen without pressure washing, plus preventive treatments. We serve 400+ towns in 14 NJ counties with free estimates and before-and-after photos. Call (973) 713-1053.
Blasting a shingle roof with a pressure washer strips the granules and can take years off its life. We soft-wash instead, killing algae and moss at the root while the shingles stay intact. Call (973) 713-1053 for a free roof cleaning inspection.
Those Streaks Are Eating the Roof You Paid For
Here’s what a lot of Northern NJ homeowners don’t realize: the dark streaks on the north side of the roof are alive. That’s Gloeocapsa magma, an algae that feeds on the limestone filler in asphalt shingles and loosens the granules that shield them from the sun. Moss is worse. It holds water against the shingle and pries the edges up until rain gets underneath. Left alone, both keep spreading and keep shortening the life of your roof, and a cleaning that knocks off granules only speeds that up.
A proper soft-wash stops the growth and protects the shingles you already have, for far less than replacing them early. We clean in the way that keeps the surface intact and stays in line with shingle maker guidance, so you’re left with a cleaner roof that lasts longer, not a clean roof that’s been worn down.
- Adds years to your roof by clearing out damaging growth
- Soft-wash method — no high pressure on your shingles
- Kills algae, moss & lichen down to the root
- Protects your shingle warranty — pressure washing can void it
How We Clean Roofs
The method matters more than anything else on a roof cleaning. We never pressure wash asphalt shingles. Here’s what we use instead, and why it protects the roof.
Soft Wash Treatment
A low-pressure application of a biodegradable cleaning solution that kills algae, moss and lichen without scrubbing at the granules. It’s the gentle approach shingle makers, Owens Corning and GAF included, point homeowners toward, and it keeps you on the right side of your warranty.
Moss Removal
Thick moss is removed by hand first, carefully, so shingle tabs don’t get lifted or cracked. Then we treat the area to kill the roots and slow regrowth. Where it makes sense, zinc strips near the ridge help keep moss from coming back.
Preventive Treatment
Already had the roof cleaned? A preventive treatment keeps algae and moss from getting a foothold again. How often depends on how much shade and tree debris your roof sees, and it spreads out the time between full cleanings.
Why We Never Pressure Wash a Shingle Roof
Pressure washing looks dramatic, and the roof looks clean when it’s done. The problem is what it does to the shingles. High-pressure water blasts off the protective granules that shield the asphalt from UV and help keep the roof watertight. Once those granules are gone, they don’t grow back.
A pressure-washed roof can look great for a season while it ages years faster underneath, and that kind of damage can give a manufacturer reason to question a warranty claim. Shingle makers, including Owens Corning, whose products we install as a Preferred Contractor, advise against it. We won’t hand you a clean roof with half its protection washed into the gutters.
Our soft-wash method uses low pressure and lets the cleaning solution do the work chemically, not by force. It kills the growth, leaves the granules in place and keeps the roof in the condition the warranty expects. That’s the only way we clean a shingle roof.
When Cleaning Isn’t Enough: A New Onyx Black Roof in Englewood Cliffs
A soft wash can bring a stained roof back to life, as long as the shingles under the streaks are still in good shape. When we get up there and find worn granules, curling tabs or a roof near the end of its life, cleaning would only make the wear easier to see. In that case we tell you straight and put a replacement option in writing next to the cleaning quote.
That’s what happened on this home in Englewood Cliffs, Bergen County. Instead of cleaning an old roof, the homeowners went with a full replacement in Owens Corning Onyx Black, installed as a complete Owens Corning system with a new GAF Master Flow power fan for attic ventilation. Not sure whether your roof needs a cleaning or a new roof? Call (973) 713-1053 and we’ll give you an honest answer and a free written quote.
Get Your Free Roof Estimate
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- ✓Free estimate, no obligation
- ✓Written, itemized quote
- ✓Licensed & insured, NJ HIC #13VH14050100
- ✓Five-star rated on Google
- ✓Financing for qualified homeowners
Prefer to talk? Call (973) 713-1053
Our Roof Cleaning Process
Careful, thorough, and done without a pressure washer ever touching your shingles.
Inspection
We check the roof’s condition, identify what’s growing (algae, moss or lichen), and photograph any spots that need a repair before cleaning makes sense.
Prep & Protect
We soak and cover your plantings and protect everything below the roofline. The solution is biodegradable, but we treat your landscaping like it isn’t.
Soft Wash
Low-pressure application of the cleaning solution across the whole roof surface, breaking down algae, moss and lichen where they grow.
Rinse & Review
A gentle rinse, a final look at the roof and a full clean-up. Most roofs look noticeably better right away, and remaining stains keep fading as the dead growth washes off in the rain.
The Wrong Roof Cleaning Method Costs You the Roof
Those dark streaks are algae, a living thing feeding on your shingles. Left alone it spreads and shortens the roof’s life. Cleaned the wrong way, it gets worse, because pressure washing strips granules along with the stains. How the roof is cleaned matters more than whether it’s cleaned.
Algae and moss don’t just look bad. They break down the granules that keep your shingles watertight.
High pressure strips granules and can put your warranty at risk. We soft-wash, every time.
Clean it the right way before it spreads, and you keep more years in the roof you already own.
Protect the roof you have. Ask about a free roof cleaning inspection.
Call (973) 713-1053 for a Free Roof Cleaning InspectionRoof Cleaning FAQ
Have a question we didn’t cover? Give us a call.
Not with a soft-wash. We use low pressure, about what a garden hose puts out, and let the cleaning solution do the work. We never high-pressure wash asphalt shingles, because that strips granules and shortens the roof’s life. The method is the whole difference.
Most roofs need a cleaning every few years, depending on shade, tree cover and how fast growth comes back. Roofs under heavy trees need it more often than open, sunny ones. A preventive treatment stretches the time between cleanings, and because we soft-wash every time, each cleaning protects the roof instead of wearing it down.
Yes, when it’s applied with care. We use a biodegradable solution and still soak your plants before and after, cover sensitive beds, and protect anything below the roofline. Your landscaping gets as much attention as your roof.
Yes, and each material gets its own approach. Metal can take a little more rinse pressure, while tile needs careful handling to avoid cracking. We look at your roof material first and adjust the method to suit it. Call (973) 713-1053 and we’ll take a look.
We protect your landscaping, soft-wash the entire roof with low pressure and a biodegradable solution, rinse gently, and clean up before we leave. You get before and after photos of every slope. At no point does a pressure washer touch your shingles.
A soft-wash won’t put your shingle warranty at risk; high-pressure washing can. That’s why we never pressure wash shingles. As an Owens Corning Preferred Contractor, we follow the manufacturer’s care guidance so your roof stays in the condition the warranty expects.
A Clean Roof Is a Longer-Lasting Roof.
Stop algae and moss from eating away at your shingles, the safe way. Get a free roof cleaning estimate today.
nailforcecontracting@gmail.com